(Gabby Richmond Photo Credit: GoBonnies.com)
By Katie Faulkner @kfaulkner20
The St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team returns home Wednesday night as it hosts Saint Joseph’s in the Reilly Center at 7. The Bonnies snapped their 16-game winning streak when they fell 74-62 to Duquesne last Saturday. Senior Katie Healy notched 20 points in the loss.
Saint Joe’s has gone 4-3 on the road this season, while posting an uncharacteristic 5-7 record at home. After earning wins over UMass (62-58) and VCU (66-63), the Hawks have dropped three straight to Fordham (47-40), Saint Louis (77-66) and Dayton (77-61). They are shooting just 29.1 percent (12th in the A-10) from beyond the arc, compared to the Bonnies’ league-high 39.3 percent. Junior guard Kathleen Fitzpatrick leads the Hawks with 31 threes on the season.
Senior forward Sarah Fairbanks (10.5 points per game) and senior guard Ciara Andrews (11.2 points per game) are the only players averaging double-figure scoring for the Hawks, as opposed to the Bonnies’ four (Healy, Nyla Rueter, Miranda Drummond, Mariah Ruff).
Saint Joe’s leads the all-time series over the Bonnies, winning 38 of the 50 total meetings. However, the Bonnies have won six of their last 10 meetings.
Bona has played with the score in its favor a majority of the season. Carrying only a sophomore status, Mariah Ruff has kept her team composed on the floor, averaging 4.3 assists in A-10 play and dishing out 75 total assists on the season.
As of Jan. 25, the brown and white stand 30th in the current RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) rankings. That lands them at second in the A-10 behind Duquesne (24).
intrepidsbu.com 